By Marianne Wood The word “reducing” makes me grin. It conjures up a machine that women in the 1950s and 60s used to jiggle their buttocks and arms in order to get rid of fat. My grandmother had access to one in her Dallas condo building. That is where I first encountered this slimming contraption that had a strap attached
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By Marianne Wood What’s a tradition, gesture, or habit that reliably brings joy into your life? This question, posed on a strip of copy paper, appeared at a nametag-making station at a recent holiday party. I picked it after a quick review of the choices and thought, “How nice, our hosts have given us a starting place for good conversations.”
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By Marianne Wood The gifts of the magi, the gifts of the spirit, the gifts we give for birthdays, holidays, and all sorts of celebrations vary greatly. At this time of year, my news and social media feeds are full of recommendations, from books to groceries. The Trader Joe advertisement sucked me in today. So many things to try like
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By Marianne Wood Last Christmas, we put up a new holiday tree in a corner of the dining room. The soft glow cast a warm blessing upon us as we gathered at our table, often with friends. In the evenings, we enjoyed viewing it from our adjacent living room. Open-concept living spaces are a significant improvement over the walled-off ones
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By Marianne Wood I gain great pleasure by spending a morning focused on writing about one topic or another that has bounced around in my head, occupying many moments of my days. As I attempt to capture these bits, I improve them with research if necessary, and hone them until, as Owen Jones wrote in The Grammar of Ornament: I am
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By Marianne Wood “Some organizations become known for certain programs or fundraisers. The Abilene Woman’s Club became known during the 1980s for its Holiday Tables, and the Abilene Preservation League garnered a reputation for Dining at a Good Friend’s Table…” wrote Roy Helen Ackers, also known as “Miz Cheevus” for the Abilene Reporter-News in June of 2016. For those new to Abilene,
Read moreBy Marianne Wood Lily intimidates me. Every time she calls, I feel panic rise in my guts. She will ask me questions I do not comprehend. Falstaff has a lovely, resonant voice but also makes me uncomfortable. This may be because of his deep bass instructions and seemingly great size. I usually understand him, but I shake a little as
Read moreBy Marianne Wood My word for 2025 is optimizing. I have some questions to guide why. Have you ever noticed that food tastes weird when you are sick? I’m sure you have. Even chocolate cake. But especially salsa and other spicy foods. Mild salsa on a tongue infected with a cold feels like an acupuncture treatment. And even the best
Read moreBy Marianne Wood On an early morning flight, I caught this view outside my window. It made me wonder, why do we–God’s creation–spend so much time and effort celebrating the underside of the comfy-looking celestial bed of clouds? And how might we motivate ourselves to look above it more? The answer always seems to be that navel-gazing is normal and
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Spirit Of Abilene 